This invention describes a new and unique protective shoelace storage compartment that is an integral part of the shoe where the shoelaces may be confined and articles like personal identification, driver's license or money may be conveniently stored in a similar fashion to that of a money belt.
Conventional shoes worn by millions of people worldwide are laced up to secure them on the feet. The distal ends of the laces are then tied in a bow to keep the laces tightly secured in the shoe and the shoe thus secured on the foot of the wearer. The problem encountered by many shoe wearers is the bow at the distal end of the laces becomes loose from abrasion or is not tied firmly enough or just gets loose and in the way. This is especially true of sports shoes worn for athletic endeavors like running, jumping, and skateboarding. The bows on the laces of the shoes of an individual, especially in skateboarding, are prone to coming untied and becoming entrapped in the wheels of the skateboard and otherwise interfering with the performance of the rider of the skateboard. The athletic shoes that use a hook-loop fastening means instead of the laces do not tighten sufficiently, nor do  they hold under the stress and abrasion created in any of the extreme activities of today's sports.
As such, there is a pressing need for a device that will allow the user of such shoes to lace them tightly and tie the distal ends in a bow inside of a compartment. When enclosed in the compartment even under the high stress environment of modern sporting activities, the user is secure in the knowledge that the ties will not become entangled or undone, especially when riding a skateboard or participating in other athletic activities which will might the laces to come free.
Additionally, people traveling for years have found it convenient to carry a money belt to secure some of their valuables like personal identification, driver's license or money when they felt that they were in an area of high theft. Pickpockets generally go after the wallet which is most often carried in a convenient location. Many of the younger, more active generation do not have pockets in their sportswear in which to carry wallet or valuables and often leave them laying around while they are participating in an activity. Even if an individual is carrying a wallet, it may be advisable to carry some additional valuables or personal identification in a separate location in case the wallet becomes lost. The hidden, and large compartment provided by the closure means on  the endwall of the tongue provides a perfect hiding place for a wallet or other valuables. With the closure means on the endwall of the tongue, easy access is provided to the entire length of the tongue, and the pocket remains virtually invisible and hidden to prying eyes. Furthermore, this unique protective shoelace storage compartment imparts a new, cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing look to the design of the shoes and provides a means to held the tongue in place in line with the two sides of the shoes by the provision of two eyelets through which the laces are drawn to register the tongue in the proper position between the right and left sides of the shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,371,637 of C. B. Meredith describes an invention that is a shoe string holder arranged to he fastened over the ends of the laces of a shoe for preventing the untying of the laces and to provide a neat and ornamental but practical device of this character. This is a device separate from the shoes that is used as an ornament for securing the bow and shoe laces.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,871,537 of F. R. Hickerson teaches of a fastener of tightener for laced closures. It is particularly adapted to use on the laces of shoes. This is another device to be used over the laces on a pair of shoes. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,198 of E. Meier describes an enclosure that is adapted to be attached to a shoe in such a manner so that the tie of the shoe can be locked within the enclosure. The enclosure is formed of two halves, which are hingeably attached to one another and is provided with a hidden latching means, which requires the use of a thin object such as a coin to be unlocked. This again is a device separate from the shoes used to conceal the tie and laces of a pair of shoes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,315 of Foley additionally describes a device for carrying valuables comprising a closeable container, such as a wallet or purse, having a hanger member, such as a flexible and resilient clip, movably secured thereto. One end of the hanger member is movably secured to a hanger support member that is movably mounted within the container. One end of the container is provided with an aperture through which a portion of the hanger member is moved when it is disposed in an inner or retracted position wherein the hanger member can engage the adjacent portion of a pocket or the like in which the container is placed. The hanger member is movable to an outer or extended position out of the container wherein the hanger member may be positioned over a garment hem and under the belt of the user with the container hanging inside the garment and below the belt. Means are provided on the container and on the support member for  releasably maintaining the support member and the hanger member in the inner or retracted position. Although this device has been designed to carry valuables, it is not incorporated into the design of a pair of shoes and will not conceal the bow and laces of the shoes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,113 of Grubman describes a clip having a flat money-container suspended therefrom and is clipable onto an upper edge of upright trousers, such that the money container is suspended inside the trousers below the upper edge thereof. Affixed to the clip is ornamental material shielding the clip from exterior discernment and an additional securing strip affixed to the clip and the money-container with another clip affixed to the free distal end of the strip adapted to be clipped onto clothing, all as a combination, and there being two such combinations with the strips thereof crossing and threaded through a buckle, in the nature of a belt or a cummerbund or as suspenders. This is another device designed to conceal a container for valuables, but it has no relationship to shoes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,888 of Cathy S. Miller discloses a shoelace retainer that includes a flexible, elongated strap member having a plurality of hook fastener elements on one surface thereof and a plurality of complementary loop fastener elements on an opposite surface thereof. A tab member having an elongated slot  is disposed at a first end of the strap member for attaching the strap member to the footwear. The free ends of the shoelace are passed through the slot and the ends are tied in a conventional bowknot. The bow loops and free ends of the shoelace are placed on top of the strap member and the strap member is rolled up and onto itself, whereby the hook fastener elements become interlocked with the loop fastener elements, thereby confining the bow loops and free ends between convoluted layers. This is another invention that describes a device separate from the shoes to cover and enclose the tie and laces and not being an integral part of the shoe design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,119 of Timothy G. Williams tells of devices and methods for containing tied lace ends on footwear. Each tied lace ends containment device comprises members which affix the device to a shoe, enclose otherwise loose tied lace ends including the bow to eliminate or greatly alleviate the danger and annoyance of freely dangling lace ends, and firmly securely engage the tie lace containment. A pocket is disclosed provided for conveniently carrying valuables or other small items on the footwear during an activity. Opportunity for placement of fashionable designs or personal identification or the like is provided. Although this device covers the laces and provides a pocket for confidently carrying valuables, this is another  invention that describes a device separate from the shoe design itself, not being a unique integral part of the design of the shoes. Any of the devices listed in the prior art provided designed to cover the laces have the ability of storing articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,573 of Aubrey Clinch teaches of a miniature pouch device which is removably attachable to the instep of a shoe for captivating the lace and bow used to tie the shoe, and retain them in a neat small package, which sits in the location where the bow would normally reside on a conventional pair of shoes. This is another invention that describes a device separate from the shoes to cover and enclose the tie and laces, not being an integral part of the shoe design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,477 of Leroy Mathis describes a shoelace cover incorporating an interchangeable fashion panel for covering the shoelaces of a gym shoe. The shoelace cover is secured to the shoe by a number of straps threaded through slots in the shoelace cover. A strap secured to each side of the gym shoe includes a loop and hook material such that the straps can be disengaged and the shoelace cover can be drawn back to expose the shoelaces of the shoe. The fashion panel is attached to the shoelace cover by a loop and hook material such that at the whim of the shoe wearer the fashion panel can be replaced by other fashion panels to convey a fashion statement. This is still  another invention that describes a device separate from the shoes to cover and enclose the tie and laces and not being an integral part of the shoe design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,342 of Bruce M. D'Andrade et al. discloses a device for securing shoelaces includes a base, a cover and an attachment mechanism for hingedly connecting the base and cover. The base has at least a bottom, a front and a back. The bottom has side cutouts adapted to allow a shoelace to pass therethrough. A pair of opposing slits extends from the side cutouts towards the center, but do not overlap. The opposing slits are formed so that the shoelace may pass easily from the side cutouts to the opposing slits. Each slit is sized and shaped such that it frictionally engages the shoelaces when they are pulled through it. In a further embodiment, the present invention has a support structure, which can be attached to the footwear and then coupled with the base. In this embodiment, the base and support have complementary attachment mechanisms. This is still another invention that describes a separate device from the shoes to cover and enclose the tie and laces and not being an integral part of the shoe design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,517 of Mervin Gourley describes a shoelace safety guard as a device to cover and retain the shoelaces to prevent inadvertent snagging or other interference with the laces  when wearing shoes. An inner fastener clement is attached by a tab to the shoelace at the furthest lace away from the point at which the laces are tied. The shoelaces are then tied by a bow over the inner fastener element. An outer fastener element attached at a fold is then folded over onto the inner fastener element and retained by a hook and loop material to cover and retain the laces. The outer fastener element may have hook and loop material to allow attachment of emblems, reflectors and other objects. This is still another invention that describes a device separate from the shoes to cover and enclose the tie and laces and not being an integral part of the shoe design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,021 of Richard G. Tatum discloses a device for tying a shoelace on a shoe, the shoelace having a first end and a second end. The device includes a base and a cover hingedly mounted on the base so as to be pivotable between an open position and a closed position. The base includes a top surface, a bottom surface and first and second holes, which are sized and shaped so that the shoelace can be inserted therethrough. The cover includes a top surface, a bottom surface and first and second pins, which are aligned so as to project into the first and second holes, respectively. When the cover is in the closed position. The cover also includes a locking tab, which engages with a tip on the base to releasably lock the cover in the closed  position. In use, with the first and second ends of the shoelace inserted through the first and second holes, respectively, with the base seated on top of and in direct contact with the shoe and with said cover pivoted in the closed position, said device prevents the shoelace from loosening within the shoe. This is still another invention that describes a device separate from the shoes to cover and enclose the tie and laces and not being an integral part of the shoe design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,500 of Moise Illingworth tells of a knot securing device of particular benefit in securing shoelace knots made from a flexible material with a region having hook elements, a region having loop elements and a pair of apertures in the flexible material for allowing the open ends of a shoelace to pass through from one surface of the material to the opposite surface of the material. The shoelace is then tied in a knot and the regions with the hook and loop elements are brought into contact to form a secure, but releasable lock around the knot. This is still another invention that describes a device separate from the shoes to cover and enclose the tie and laces and not being an integral part of the shoe design.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,111 of R. Timothy Deskins et al. describes a device for containing, concealing and protecting  footwear fasteners to keep the fasteners secure, clean, concealed and protected from snagging on foreign objects. The device is made of a pliable material so as to prevent injury in the event that the wearer or some other person comes into contact with the device. The device has a cover that may display fashionable designs and emblems, or reflective material for use in the dark. This is still another invention that describes a device separate from the shoes to cover and enclose the tie and laces and not being an integral part of the shoe design.
The forgoing prior art discloses a vast array of devices to cover or protect the laces of a conventional pair of shoes. However, there exists a need for a shoe having a hidden pocket in the tongue which is aesthetically pleasing and functionally hides the access point to the pocket. Such a device should provide easy access to the hidden pocket from a side edge thereby allowing easy insertion of a wallet or money or similar valuables. Such a device should also provide a closure means on the endwall of the tongue which allows the outer surface of the two walled tongue to be folded forward to allow the laces to actually be tied inside the area of the tongue which forms the pocket. Such a device should optionally be removable from the shoe itself to function as a wallet. Finally, such a device  should provide a means to maintain the registration of the tongue between the two sides of the shoe during use of the shoe by using the laces to hold it in proper positioning once tied.